What does soon-to-be 43-year-old Tom Brady, coming off one of the least inspiring seasons of his career, have left in the tank?
How far can he take the Tampa Bay Buccaneers — a 7-9 outfit last year with some lethal offensive weapons — after 20 stellar seasons in New England?
Think Brett Favre leading the Minnesota Vikings’ 2009 magic carpet ride almost to the Super Bowl, said Vikings radio analyst Ben Leber, a linebacker on that ’09 team.
“I think he can find lightning in a bottle,” said Leber, a Vermillion (SD) high school alumnus, on Tuesday’s “Sports Talk with Craig & John” on KWSN a couple hours before TB12 to TB was reported.
“If you take a template from what Favre did with us — A lot of people were like, ‘what does Favre have even left in the tank?’ You know, his last year with the Jets, which was atrocious.”
After spending 15 years in Green Bay — which included a Super Bowl title — the 3-time MVP spent a forgettable 2008 in New York, throwing 22 touchdowns and 22 interceptions in guiding the Jets to a 9-7 record, which did not qualify them for the playoffs.
It forced the 39-year-old into retirement, with many feeling his best days were in the rear view mirror.
Then, his former arch rival called. Minnesota was coming off a 10-6 wild card season with pedestrian and mistake-prone quarterback play, but had plenty of offensive weapons and potential, the same way the current Buccaneers do now. More on that in a moment.
Favre decided to pull on a purple No. 4 jersey, turned 40 the middle of that 2009 season, and posted the best numbers of his 20-year Hall of Fame career.
With stealth weapons Adrian Peterson at running back and blazing receivers Sidney Rice and Percy Harvin, Favre directed the NFL’s second-best offense and had, career-wise, his highest completion percentage (68.4%), third-highest yardage total (4,202), and most yards per attempt (7.9). The NFL’s all-time interceptions leader had the fewest interceptions of his career by far (7), fouth-most touchdowns (33), and best touchdown to interception ratio (33 to 7).
The Vikings achieved their second-best season of the 44 since they last reached the Super Bowl in 1977, posting a 12-4 record, then losing in overtime of the NFC Championship in New Orleans, when, because of NFL OT rules at the time, that juggernaut offense never saw the field.
But before he threw that fateful interception on a potential game-winning drive near the end of regulation, Favre had the Vikings on fire. He didn’t just ignite Minnesota fans starving for a Super Bowl, but a locker room full of younger players, some almost young enough to be his son.
“There is something with the fact that, when you bring juice to practice everyday, it does make your team better, and it’s going to make your offense better,” Leber said. “And, who knows. (Brady) might just be the presence and the personality that takes a team that was a 6-or-7-win team to 10 or 11.”
The Bucs won seven last season, with six of nine losses coming by a touchdown or less. They had the NFL’s fifth-best defense (in efficiency). Jameis Winston threw for 5,109 yards and 33 touchdowns, but also an NFL-worst (by far) 31 interceptions. It is easy to imagine Brady — who threw 29 picks in his last four seasons combined — leading the Bucs to a few more wins than seven, considering how many drives Winston killed.
Brady will inherit the third-ranked total and scoring offense from 2019 with weapons he hasn’t seen in New England since the Randy Moss era. Tampa Bay is returning two 1,000-yard receivers in Mike Evans and Chris Goodwin, two pass-catching tight ends in O.J. Howard and Cameron Brate and a rising running back in Ronald Jones. Far more explosive than the Patriots attack of years past, Brady surely took Tampa’s talent into consideration when exploring his next destination.
“There’s something about hitting a refresh, Leber said. “Tom Brady takes great care of himself. And, maybe he doesn’t have the arm strength, but I think to go in there and command a locker room, to be that magnetic presence, and to ultimately bring a spring in everybody’s step —
“I’ve got to tell you, man, I don’t think I would have believed it if I didn’t live it every day with Favre.”
